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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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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: band · capital · cabinet · cue · bear · bulb · fine · charge

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. capital — money
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. band — a music group
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — a price
  16. cue — for pool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. capital — a city

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