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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rock — music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. field — farmland
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — the amount
  13. rock — a stone
  14. field — for sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — a subject
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — money
  22. content — happy
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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