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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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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pit — in a race
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kid — to tease
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bound — obliged
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bound — certain
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — happy
  15. pit — a hole
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kid — child
  18. bound — tied together

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