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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — crushed
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of law
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — for sport
  11. ground — a position
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. date — the fruit
  16. content — happy
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — the amount
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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