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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: bound · content · mark · snap · capital · mate · kid · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — to breed
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. content — happy
  12. bound — certain
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kid — child
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mate — a partner
  17. content — the amount
  18. mark — a trace
  19. snap — to click
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — a friend
  24. capital — a city

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