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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — a country
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. row — to paddle
  11. land — to come down
  12. capital — a city
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — in sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — in a race
  21. row — a line
  22. capital — money
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pit — a hole

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