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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. content — happy
  5. bank — of a river
  6. content — the amount
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — help
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — soda
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pop — music
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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