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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. present — there
  4. content — the amount
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — a position
  19. content — happy
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — the earth

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