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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: board · rock · kick · leaves · staff · capital · bulb · tube

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. board — a committee
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. staff — a stick
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rock — music
  11. board — to get on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tube — a container
  20. capital — money
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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