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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · rock · cue · wave · date · bark · staff · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rock — music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — a stone
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. capital — a city
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cue — a hint
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cue — a signal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cue — for pool
  20. staff — employees
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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