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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stock — shares
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wax — to grow
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. capital — money
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. present — a gift
  12. capital — a city
  13. present — there
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. present — the time now
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stock — goods
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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