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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — for sport
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rash — hasty
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. capital — money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. capital — a city
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — of a king
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. sharp — clever
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — electricity
  24. vault — a safe

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