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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · sharp · season · chair · toast · roll · bulb · fine

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. toast — bread
  4. chair — a leader
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. roll — a list
  8. season — of the year
  9. sharp — clever
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fine — all right
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fine — high quality
  15. capital — money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. capital — a city
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — in sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — a big letter

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