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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. current — of water
  4. foot — a measure
  5. court — of a king
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. current — happening now
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. court — of law
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — to eat
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — electric
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. capital — a city

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