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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — a thing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. content — the amount
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — happy
  20. object — to protest
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — the cause

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