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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — a face
  5. bear — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — happy
  8. can — a tin
  9. mug — to rob
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. content — the amount

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