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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 116 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mate — to breed
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. face — to point toward
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mate — a friend
  8. content — the amount
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — a committee
  15. content — happy
  16. board — to get on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a flat piece

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