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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. last — to go on
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — bread
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — final
  21. foot — a measure
  22. last — finally
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. safe — out of danger

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