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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — to visit
  3. season — of the year
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. season — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — part of the head
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — soda
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to confront
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. season — to add flavour

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