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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — happy
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — a video
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stand — to bear
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. scale — size or range
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. content — the amount
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cap — a hat
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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