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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — for sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. object — to protest
  7. court — of a king
  8. object — an aim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. court — of law
  13. object — a thing
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. craft — a skill
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. content — happy
  24. wave — of the sea

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