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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — the season
  3. key — in music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. court — for sport
  7. capital — a city
  8. key — for a lock
  9. court — of a king
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bound — certain
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bound — tied together
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bound — obliged
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — money
  24. court — of law

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