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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: sharp · bulb · bowl · race · march · roll · plane · content

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. sharp — clever
  5. roll — a list
  6. plane — a tool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. content — happy
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. race — humankind
  17. march — music
  18. content — the amount
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. race — a contest
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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