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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bulb · content · mug · sharp · current · bat · field · mouse

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — of water
  9. field — farmland
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. field — for sport
  21. content — the amount
  22. current — happening now
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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