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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — electricity
  3. band — a music group
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. rule — a law
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. charge — in control
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — in sport
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rule — government
  15. charge — a price
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. net — after costs
  19. content — happy
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. content — the amount
  22. band — a ring
  23. net — for catching
  24. rule — to rule out

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