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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — the fruit
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cue — a signal
  9. content — the amount
  10. bass — the fish
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — happy
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. row — a line
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bass — low music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fork — a garden 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