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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: club · pop · bay · capital · fall · net · craft · bulb

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — a group
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — boats
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. capital — money
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. net — after costs
  16. club — for dancing
  17. net — for catching
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fall — the season
  20. capital — a city
  21. club — for golf
  22. net — in sport
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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