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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cap — a hat
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — decided
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. content — the amount
  14. cue — a signal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. firm — a company
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cue — for pool

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