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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. capital — a city
  9. net — for catching
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. court — of law
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — to recline
  15. capital — money
  16. court — of a king
  17. rash — a series
  18. root — of a word
  19. court — for sport
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rash — hasty
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — the cause

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