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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: toast · fan · bulb · capital · current · prune · mug · kid

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — to rob
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kid — child
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a city
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bulb — of a plant

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