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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — in sport
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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