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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — happy
  8. march — music
  9. key — in music
  10. march — the month
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pop — soda
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pop — to visit
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — the most important part
  24. can — a tin

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