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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. key — the most important part
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — to sink
  11. capital — money
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. board — a committee
  22. wake — a trail
  23. dip — to dunk
  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