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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rash — a series
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. kick — in football
  20. rash — hasty
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. court — of law
  24. rock — music

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