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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. suit — to fit
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — a match
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stem — to come from
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — to grow
  23. staff — employees
  24. game — wild animals

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