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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. capital — a city
  4. mug — a cup
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. capital — money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mug — a face
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. track — a song
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a path
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — to keep track
  23. deal — to handle
  24. racket — a loud noise

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