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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — of water
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — all right
  8. root — of a word
  9. ball — a dance
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — electric
  14. content — happy
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — the cause
  23. current — happening now
  24. leaves — of a tree

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