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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — happening now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. capital — a city
  6. net — after costs
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. capital — money
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — in cards
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. net — for catching
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — help
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. leaves — to go away

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