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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 116 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: spell · chair · tube · bulb · ruler · ball · capital · mug

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. spell — magic
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mug — a face
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. capital — a city
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tube — a container

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