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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. firm — steady
  4. craft — boats
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rest — a break
  7. bound — certain
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. capital — a city
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — a company
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. firm — decided
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — crushed

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