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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 116 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: mouse · ball · leaves · track · bulb · field · content · key

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — a song
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. track — a path
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. content — the amount
  19. field — a subject
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in 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