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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. content — the amount
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. toast — bread
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fork — in a road
  22. content — happy
  23. bulb — for light
  24. leaves — to go away

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