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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 124 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. capital — a city
  3. content — the amount
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. content — happy
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — money
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. craft — a handicraft

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