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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pound — a weight
  3. capital — money
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bulb — for light
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. field — farmland
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. board — a committee
  14. capital — a city
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — to get on
  20. field — for sport
  21. wake — a trail
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. field — a subject

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