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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. content — the amount
  10. face — to confront
  11. can — a tin
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. face — to point toward
  16. content — happy
  17. staff — employees
  18. scale — size or range
  19. face — part of the head
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. staff — a stick
  24. can — a tin

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