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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. present — a gift
  4. stock — goods
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. present — the time now
  15. capital — a city
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. capital — money
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. present — there
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stock — shares

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