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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — an amount
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. bore — to drill
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. capital — a city
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. degree — temperature

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