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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. track — a path
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rock — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. track — a song
  13. sharp — clever
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. content — happy
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — the amount
  22. track — to keep track
  23. march — music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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