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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 put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cap — a hat
  5. game — a match
  6. bear — the animal
  7. content — happy
  8. charge — in control
  9. bulb — for light
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cap — of ice
  13. face — to confront
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. charge — a price
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — electricity
  18. content — the amount
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. face — part of the head
  21. ground — a position
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bear — the animal

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