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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. 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. firm — decided
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. band — a music group
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. firm — a company
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. file — a line of people
  9. content — happy
  10. craft — a skill
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — certain
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. craft — boats
  17. file — a tool
  18. content — the amount
  19. band — a ring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. file — a document
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. 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