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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. capital — a city
  3. shower — to wash
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ball — a dance
  6. suit — in cards
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. capital — money
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. date — the fruit
  19. foot — a measure
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. shower — rain
  23. ball — a great time
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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