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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: firm · lean · rest · track · drill · bulb · bat · capital

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lean — thin
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rest — a break
  18. track — to keep track
  19. drill — army training
  20. rest — what's left
  21. capital — money
  22. drill — a practice
  23. capital — a city
  24. firm — decided

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