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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. object — to protest
  3. content — happy
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. object — an aim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cue — for pool
  13. object — a thing
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — a trace
  17. content — the amount
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. deal — a big deal

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