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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — to paddle
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. content — the amount
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — to be able to
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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