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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. capital — a city
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. content — the amount
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — a face
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — money
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. content — happy
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. content — videos and posts

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