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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 116 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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. race — humankind
  3. court — of a king
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. present — there
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. row — a line
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. present — the time now
  18. scale — in music
  19. court — of law
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pass — a permit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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