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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. track — to keep track
  3. current — happening now
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — electric
  6. tube — a container
  7. track — a song
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — the underground
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — of water
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. capital — a city
  15. track — a path
  16. craft — boats
  17. wound — an injury
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. capital — money
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. toast — bread

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