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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bound — obliged
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — to be able to
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bound — certain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bound — tied together
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. scale — in music
  20. content — the amount
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. content — happy
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a quarrel

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