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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. content — happy
  3. rush — hurry
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. key — the most important part
  8. content — the amount
  9. fine — all right
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. shower — rain
  12. board — a committee
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — in music
  18. board — to get on
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cap — a hat
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bulb — for light

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