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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
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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: capital · bulb · stem · ball · field · bound · sharp · plane

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bound — tied together
  3. capital — money
  4. bound — certain
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — obliged
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — a city
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. field — for sport
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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