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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rest — a break
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — boats
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rock — music
  14. capital — money
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. capital — a city
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — clever
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — exactly

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