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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. content — the amount
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — in a road
  11. court — of a king
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — for catching
  16. content — happy
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. staff — employees
  20. court — for sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of law
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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