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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.

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 · ruler · bass · fine · capital · root · last · arm

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fine — all right
  4. capital — a city
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. root — of a word
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — low music
  19. capital — money
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — finally
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. root — the cause

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