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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — happy
  4. current — electric
  5. content — the amount
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — a measure
  11. current — of water
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — the most important part
  14. current — happening now
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. key — in music

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