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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: chair · stick · craft · mark · clip · content · bulb · kick

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mark — a grade
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. clip — to cut
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — a video
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. kick — in football
  18. content — the amount
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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