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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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468
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: stand · cabinet · content · track · bat · wound · bulb · safe

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. track — a path
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. track — to keep track
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. track — a song
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. content — the amount
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stand — to bear
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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