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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — to sink
  5. capital — money
  6. chest — a box
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a city
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — help
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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