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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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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: content · board · mark · suit · pass · race · clip · bulb

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. content — the amount
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — happy
  8. race — the arms race
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bulb — for light
  12. suit — clothes
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. clip — for paper
  22. suit — to fit
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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