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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rule — government
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. firm — steady
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — to sink
  15. firm — a company
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. last — final
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rule — a law
  21. last — to go on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  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