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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. game — wild animals
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. content — the amount
  10. game — a match
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — of ice
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — clever

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