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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mine — for digging
  8. club — for golf
  9. bound — obliged
  10. vault — a safe
  11. club — for dancing
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bore — to drill
  17. content — the amount
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. content — happy
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bound — certain
  24. mine — belonging to me

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