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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — of the year
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. capital — money
  9. cap — of ice
  10. charge — in control
  11. mate — a friend
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. capital — a city
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. season — in sport
  19. track — a song
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. track — a path

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