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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. foot — a measure
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mate — a partner
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — the amount
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. content — happy
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. clip — a video

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