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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fork — in a road
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pound — a weight
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — the amount
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — happy
  24. pound — to hit hard

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