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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. capital — money
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a line of people
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — a tin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. file — a tool
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. file — a document
  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