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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rule — government
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bulb — for light
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. content — happy
  20. rule — a law
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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