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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bound — obliged
  6. content — happy
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. degree — from a university
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bound — certain
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. content — the amount
  24. ruler — for measuring

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