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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pop — music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. season — in sport
  9. ball — a great time
  10. land — ground
  11. ball — a dance
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — of the year
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pop — soda
  20. bass — low music
  21. land — a country
  22. content — happy
  23. bass — the fish
  24. land — to come down

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