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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: track · tube · capital · bulb · stem · safe · firm · spring

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. track — a song
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. tube — a container
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. spring — of water
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. firm — steady
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. tube — the underground
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — to come from
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. firm — a company
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — a big letter

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