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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. capital — money
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. can — a tin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. capital — a city
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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