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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mate — to breed
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mate — a friend
  7. content — happy
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. club — a group
  13. pop — to visit
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. club — for dancing
  21. season — in sport
  22. mate — a partner
  23. content — the amount
  24. club — for golf

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