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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. object — an aim
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cap — a hat
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. object — a thing
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stand — for spectators

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