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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. capital — a city
  4. court — of a king
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of law
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spring — of water
  12. capital — money
  13. key — in music
  14. net — in sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — after costs
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — the season
  24. key — for a lock

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