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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bore — to drill
  7. content — happy
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — to tire
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — the amount

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