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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — for light
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — the amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. field — farmland
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — all right
  20. drill — a practice
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. content — happy
  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