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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — a company
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — of ice
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. season — of the year
  12. firm — steady
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. season — in sport
  16. capital — money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a city
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. firm — decided

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