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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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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. content — happy
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. season — in sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pound — a weight
  15. foot — a measure
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. content — the amount
  18. season — of the year

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