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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ground — a position
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. mate — a friend
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — to protest
  12. ground — the earth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. content — the amount
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. object — an aim
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. object — a thing

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