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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — electric
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. season — in sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mark — a trace
  14. capital — a city
  15. season — of the year
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. saw — the tool
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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