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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. content — the amount
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. current — of water
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. current — happening now
  17. roll — a list
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — certain
  24. roll — a cake

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