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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 120 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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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: ground · capital · branch · bulb · rule · nail · ruler · season

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — of the year
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. capital — money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rule — a law
  14. capital — a city
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rule — government
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bulb — for light
  24. season — in sport

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