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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rest — a break
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — in sport
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. firm — a company
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. firm — steady
  14. bulb — for light
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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