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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — a skill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. object — to protest
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. capital — money
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cap — a lid
  15. capital — a city
  16. branch — a division
  17. object — an aim
  18. cap — a hat
  19. object — a thing
  20. cap — of ice
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. craft — boats
  24. mine — an explosive

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