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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. roll — a list
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — a skill
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. content — the amount
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. scale — in music
  13. craft — boats
  14. game — a match
  15. content — happy
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — to breed
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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