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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cold — an illness
  12. club — a group
  13. can — a tin
  14. season — in sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. club — for golf
  21. can — to be able to
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. plane — a tool
  24. club — for dancing

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