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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. capital — a city
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rush — hurry
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ground — the earth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. capital — money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — a position

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