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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. capital — a city
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — for light
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. spring — the season
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. key — in music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spring — a coil
  18. current — of water
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. key — the most important part
  22. spring — of water
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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