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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. capital — a city
  4. tube — a container
  5. bulb — for light
  6. can — to be able to
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. tear — to rip
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. object — a thing
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. object — an aim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tear — from crying
  18. squash — to crush
  19. march — the month
  20. capital — money
  21. object — to protest
  22. squash — the sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. march — music

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