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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — happy
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. mine — for digging
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitch — completely
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. content — videos and posts

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