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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. band — a music group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. court — of law
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. capital — money
  14. court — for sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — a city
  17. current — of water
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. court — of a king
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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