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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spell — letters
  5. content — happy
  6. last — finally
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spell — magic
  11. content — the amount
  12. last — final
  13. chip — to eat
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — to go on
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — a song

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