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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cap — a lid
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. charge — in control
  10. swing — in golf
  11. scale — in music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — for light
  15. charge — a price
  16. cap — of ice
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cap — a hat
  20. capital — money
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. swing — music
  23. capital — a big letter
  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