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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. capital — a city
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. court — for sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. squash — the sport
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. court — of a king
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. squash — to crush

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