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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. hand — help
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — bread
  11. craft — boats
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. object — an aim
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hand — in cards
  16. object — a thing
  17. content — happy
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — to protest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hand — part of the body
  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