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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — for money
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — to handle
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — the amount
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bank — for money

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