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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rash — a series
  12. content — happy
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mark — a grade
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rash — hasty
  23. content — the amount
  24. band — a ring

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