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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. content — happy
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. content — the amount
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — a path
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wave — with your hand

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