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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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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bear — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — steady
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. firm — decided
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. roll — a list
  23. capital — a city
  24. bulb — for light

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