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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — wild animals
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. capital — a city
  9. game — a match
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a committee
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. board — to get on
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. craft — boats
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tube — a container
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. capital — money
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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