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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: suit · rock · foot · bulb · pop · lash · kid · capital

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. capital — a city
  10. pop — to visit
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pop — music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — to tease
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pop — soda
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. capital — money

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