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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: net · scale · bulb · pitcher · content · bay · mark · date

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mark — a trace
  8. net — in sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. scale — in music
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. net — after costs
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. date — the fruit

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