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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. content — the amount
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ball — a great time
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — certain
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — in control
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. content — happy
  16. bound — obliged
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. coach — a trainer
  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