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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. capital — money
  16. spring — of water
  17. capital — a city
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. board — to get on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bulb — for light

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