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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · prune · bulb · spell · object · key · mouse · capital

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. object — a thing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. last — to go on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. capital — a city
  9. spell — a short time
  10. last — finally
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. spell — magic
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — final
  19. spell — letters
  20. prune — to trim
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. object — to protest
  23. mouse — the animal
  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