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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. craft — boats
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wind — moving air
  6. craft — a skill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. capital — a city
  10. perch — the fish
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. plane — a tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — an aircraft

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