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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. capital — money
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. tube — a container
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — for paper
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. clip — a video
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a great time
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stem — to come from
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rock — to move gently

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