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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. craft — boats
  6. bound — certain
  7. pop — to visit
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pop — music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lean — thin
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pop — soda
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spell — letters
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a great time
  24. craft — a skill

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