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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — thin
  6. press — to push
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cell — in biology
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. rash — a series
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ground — crushed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — a position
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cell — a phone
  20. content — happy
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — newspapers
  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