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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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. chair — a leader
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a path
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cap — of ice
  19. content — happy
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. track — a song
  23. mark — a trace
  24. suit — to fit

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