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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. content — the amount
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. content — happy
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — to keep track
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a path
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a song

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