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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. content — the amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. content — happy
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to tire
  16. march — music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. march — the month
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — videos and posts

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