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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. date — the fruit
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chip — for betting
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. capital — a city
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — a company
  14. bear — the animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — steady
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — wild animals
  23. capital — money
  24. firm — decided

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