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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — a country
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lean — to bend
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. capital — money
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. suit — in cards
  21. toast — bread
  22. ground — the earth
  23. land — to come down
  24. game — a kind of play

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