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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. object — to protest
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mug — to rob
  11. court — of a king
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — of law
  15. spring — of water
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. spring — the season
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — shares
  23. court — for sport
  24. fork — to eat with

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