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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 120 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: object · content · bulb · dip · season · cap · pound · mug

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cap — a hat
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. cap — of ice
  10. content — the amount
  11. pound — a weight
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mug — a face
  19. content — happy
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. dip — to dunk

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