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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. club — for golf
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. spring — a coil
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. charge — a price
  14. capital — money
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for dancing
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. club — a group
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pass — a permit
  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