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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pit — a hole
  3. land — a country
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cue — for pool
  7. land — to come down
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — a price
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. land — ground
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cue — a hint
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cue — a signal
  21. roll — a list
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — money
  24. bulb — for light

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