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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — a list
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — in sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. game — a match
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — a cake
  20. season — of the year
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. can — to be able to

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