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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. content — happy
  7. track — to keep track
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. track — a path
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — the amount
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — in control
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a song
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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