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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to click
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — for sport
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. court — of law
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. season — of the year
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bear — to put up with

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