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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. object — a thing
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — happening now
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. object — to protest
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. object — an aim
  15. capital — money
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. capital — a city
  24. deal — a big deal

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