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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
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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: bulb · firm · content · season · march · mug · track · cue

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — steady
  5. content — happy
  6. firm — a company
  7. season — of the year
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — the amount
  11. march — the month
  12. track — a path
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — the month
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. track — a song
  23. mug — a face
  24. march — music

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