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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. firm — steady
  5. mark — a grade
  6. content — happy
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. court — of law
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. firm — decided
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — to be able to
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a trace
  22. content — the amount
  23. bulb — for light
  24. leaves — of a tree

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