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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: wake · march · dip · cue · content · bulb · roll · pit

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. content — the amount
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pit — a hole
  8. dip — to sink
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. roll — a list
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. bulb — for light
  24. dip — a sauce

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