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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. present — the time now
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — a container
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — the amount
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. firm — decided
  17. fork — in a road
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. firm — steady
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. safe — a strongbox

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