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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. track — a path
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. capital — a city
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fall — the season
  24. date — the fruit

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