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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — the amount
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. band — a ring
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. content — happy
  9. mate — a friend
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. drill — a practice
  15. band — a music group
  16. firm — steady
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mate — to breed
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ball — a dance

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