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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. band — a ring
  13. cap — a lid
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mark — a trace
  23. can — a tin
  24. cap — a hat

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