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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kid — to tease
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — obliged
  15. suit — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — a division
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — certain
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. capital — a city

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