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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — the amount
  3. present — a gift
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. content — happy
  6. present — the time now
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — there
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — in music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bulb — for light
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. scale — size or range
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — of a plant

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