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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. content — the amount
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — happy
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. key — in music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. court — for sport
  22. key — the most important part
  23. present — there
  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