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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. land — ground
  5. content — happy
  6. squash — the sport
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — a permit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fork — in a road
  12. staff — employees
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. land — a country
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. land — to come down
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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