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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. key — in music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. kick — in football
  8. pass — a permit
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cold — an illness
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cold — not warm
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — for pool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pass — to succeed

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