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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rule — a law
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. content — happy
  10. stock — shares
  11. band — a ring
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. rule — government
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a music group
  18. mug — a face
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — to rob
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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