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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: spring · suit · temple · object · pitcher · capital · bulb · trunk

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. capital — money
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. capital — a city
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. object — an aim
  14. spring — of water
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. suit — in cards
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. object — a thing
  24. suit — to fit

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