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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitch — completely
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — to be able to
  11. suit — clothes
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. band — a ring
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. band — a music group
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — for light

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