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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 124 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. capital — a city
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. firm — a company
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bulb — for light
  8. capital — money
  9. current — electric
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — steady
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — of water
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. firm — decided
  20. current — happening now
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rush — hurry

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