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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. capital — a city
  3. bore — to drill
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bore — to tire
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a music group
  11. track — to keep track
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. band — a ring
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. capital — money
  22. track — a path
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — bread

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