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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rule — a law
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. current — electric
  11. capital — money
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fine — high quality
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. current — of water
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fine — all right
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rule — government
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. current — happening now
  24. rule — to rule out

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