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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. content — happy
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. content — the amount
  6. rule — government
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rule — a law
  9. track — a path
  10. land — ground
  11. track — a song
  12. land — a country
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — a face
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. land — to come down
  18. track — to keep track
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — a tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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