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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chip — for betting
  6. current — happening now
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. current — electric
  10. spell — magic
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. press — to push
  16. root — of a word
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — to sink
  20. capital — money
  21. chip — to eat
  22. capital — a city
  23. current — of water
  24. press — newspapers

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