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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fine — all right
  3. capital — money
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — of water
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spring — a coil
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. capital — a city
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — the season
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. board — a committee
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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