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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — a friend
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. capital — money
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mate — a partner
  11. file — a line of people
  12. capital — a city
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — in control
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mate — to breed
  21. scale — in music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. file — a document
  24. charge — a price

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