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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bass — the fish
  7. capital — money
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. charge — a price
  16. roll — a list
  17. mine — for digging
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bass — low music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. capital — a big letter
  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