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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. capital — a city
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — money
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wind — moving air

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