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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. swing — in golf
  6. capital — a city
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. bulb — for light
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. capital — money
  18. swing — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. current — happening now
  21. key — in music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. capital — a big letter

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