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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. content — the amount
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rush — hurry
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — happy
  14. spell — letters
  15. plane — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. toast — bread
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — magic
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. suit — to fit

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