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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. content — happy
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — for digging
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to click
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — the amount
  21. charge — a price
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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