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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — the underground
  8. current — of water
  9. capital — money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — electric
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. current — happening now
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. capital — a city
  24. bulb — for light

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