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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. capital — money
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — music
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — soda
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pound — to hit hard

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