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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. content — the amount
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. craft — boats
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. content — happy
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pound — a weight
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bay — a horse colour

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