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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — to visit
  4. capital — a city
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — a skill
  8. current — electric
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. craft — boats
  11. land — a country
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — music
  15. land — ground
  16. pop — soda
  17. land — to come down
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. current — happening now
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — money

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