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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spring — the season
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ball — a dance
  6. suit — clothes
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. key — in music
  9. bound — certain
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bound — tied together
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. suit — in cards
  20. capital — a city
  21. bulb — for light
  22. suit — to fit
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. capital — money

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