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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. track — a path
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — the amount
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bulb — for light
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. content — happy
  24. fine — high quality

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