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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — happy
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bound — certain
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bulb — for light
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ground — the earth

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