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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. row — to paddle
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wake — a trail
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. content — happy
  10. bound — certain
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. row — a line
  15. bound — obliged
  16. content — the amount
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees

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