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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: squash · chip · lie · march · bulb · capital · field · firm

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chip — for betting
  5. squash — to crush
  6. field — a subject
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — the sport
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. firm — steady
  12. march — music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. march — the month
  17. capital — a city
  18. chip — to eat
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. field — for sport
  23. march — the month
  24. field — farmland

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