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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ground — the earth
  8. capital — money
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. firm — decided
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. current — of water
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ground — a position
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ground — crushed
  23. game — a match
  24. capital — a big letter

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