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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mark — a trace
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rock — music
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — a stone

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