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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. drill — the tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mug — a face
  6. plane — a tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mug — to rob
  15. drill — army training
  16. field — farmland
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mug — a cup
  21. season — of the year
  22. field — for sport
  23. season — in sport
  24. field — a subject

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