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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a great time
  4. row — a line
  5. spring — a coil
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — a company
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — decided
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — of water
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. firm — steady
  18. capital — a city
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ball — a dance
  24. spring — the season

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