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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to tire
  6. current — happening now
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitch — completely
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — the season
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. current — electric
  24. bore — to drill

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