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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · pass · bulb · toast · content · ball

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. content — happy
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ball — a dance
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. content — the amount

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