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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. craft — boats
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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