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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. land — to come down
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fork — in a road
  5. capital — money
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ball — a great time
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. land — a country
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mug — a cup
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a face
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. capital — a city
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mug — to rob

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