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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: bowl · suit · rule · bulb · kid · row · content · can

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. can — to be able to
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bulb — for light
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. content — happy
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rule — government
  15. row — a line
  16. suit — clothes
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — a law
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. content — the amount
  24. suit — to fit

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