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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. suit — clothes
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — to fit
  19. degree — from a university
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — in cards

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