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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chair — a leader
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cue — a signal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. content — happy
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. spell — letters
  21. toast — bread
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. content — the amount
  24. toast — the most admired

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