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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: fine · bowl · bulb · content · row · date · object · can

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — the amount
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. date — the fruit
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. object — an aim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — to protest
  13. row — a line
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — all right
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. can — a tin

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