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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cap — of ice
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — goods
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. content — happy
  24. cap — a hat

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