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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — obliged
  10. root — of a plant
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. content — happy
  15. root — of a word
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bound — certain
  18. field — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. root — the cause
  23. content — the amount
  24. field — farmland

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