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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — a city
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cap — a hat
  20. perch — the fish
  21. capital — money
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — a big letter

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