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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rule — a law
  3. capital — a city
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. face — to confront
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stock — shares
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stock — goods
  19. press — to push
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bear — the animal

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