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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pit — a hole
  3. capital — money
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pit — in a race
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wind — moving air
  19. object — an aim
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. object — to protest
  24. pitcher — a jug

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