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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. net — after costs
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. squash — to crush
  16. capital — money
  17. spring — the season
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — a city
  21. net — for catching
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mark — a grade

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