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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — of water
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — high quality
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. capital — money
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. current — happening now
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. capital — a city
  19. land — a country
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — ground

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