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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. toast — bread
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. present — a gift
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. capital — money
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. capital — a city
  21. rock — music
  22. present — the time now
  23. rock — a stone
  24. plane — a tool

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