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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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. court — of law
  3. firm — a company
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. press — a publisher
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. firm — steady
  12. press — to push
  13. court — of a king
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. firm — decided
  17. drill — army training
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. press — newspapers
  21. court — for sport
  22. content — happy
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — a practice

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