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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rule — a law
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — happy
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. object — a thing
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. object — to protest
  17. ground — a position
  18. object — an aim
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rule — government
  22. bore — to tire
  23. content — the amount
  24. bulb — of a plant

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