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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — humankind
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitch — completely
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. capital — money
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. capital — a city
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. race — a contest
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pitch — a sports field

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