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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. current — happening now
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tube — a container
  7. ground — crushed
  8. tube — the underground
  9. current — of water
  10. capital — money
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ground — a position
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a city
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — electric

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