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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · drill · hide · bound · capital · scale · bulb · pass

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. drill — the tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. current — of water
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. capital — money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pass — a permit
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — electric
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com