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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. content — happy
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stock — shares
  10. track — a path
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. content — the amount
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — a song
  17. bound — certain
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stock — a soup base

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