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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. band — a ring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — money
  6. firm — a company
  7. bore — to drill
  8. firm — decided
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a music group
  13. spring — of water
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. firm — steady
  20. capital — a city
  21. foot — a measure
  22. spring — a coil
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bore — to tire

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