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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
468
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 · clip · mine · season · cabinet · content · bulb · stick

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. clip — for paper
  17. content — happy
  18. fine — all right
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — the amount
  24. season — of the year

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