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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bat — the animal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. suit — in cards
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — the sport
  13. board — to get on
  14. content — happy
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. present — there
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. board — a committee
  24. present — the time now

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