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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. capital — a city
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fall — to drop
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. net — for catching
  18. can — to be able to
  19. net — after costs
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. capital — money
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mark — to pay attention

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