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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — happy
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. content — the amount
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. capital — a city
  15. fine — high quality
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. staff — employees
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. scale — size or range
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fine — all right
  24. capital — money

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