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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
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: rule · current · fall · march · bulb · coach · pit · capital

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bulb — for light
  3. march — the month
  4. current — electric
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — a city
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fall — the season
  11. current — of water
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fall — to drop
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rule — a law
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. capital — money
  23. march — music
  24. rule — government

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