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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. field — a subject
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. content — the amount
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — farmland
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — happy
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. field — for sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bulb — for light

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