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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. season — in sport
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. season — of the year
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. spring — the season
  13. capital — money
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lean — thin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — a city
  22. chip — for betting
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — the animal

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