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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bulb — for light
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. firm — steady
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — decided
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chip — for betting
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. row — a line
  15. dip — to sink
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. firm — a company
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. row — to paddle
  21. content — the amount
  22. chip — to eat
  23. content — happy
  24. chip — in a computer

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