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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mug — a face
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — the season
  8. current — of water
  9. capital — a city
  10. spring — of water
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. current — happening now
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. current — electric
  18. mug — to rob
  19. saw — the tool
  20. capital — money
  21. object — to protest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mug — a cup

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