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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — for catching
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — a stick
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. net — in sport
  24. rush — to hurry

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