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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pitch — completely
  3. suit — clothes
  4. content — the amount
  5. pass — a permit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bound — certain
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. saw — the tool

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