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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. capital — money
  5. land — to come down
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — a country
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. land — ground
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rush — hurry
  22. present — a gift
  23. capital — a city
  24. can — a tin

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