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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. key — the most important part
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bass — low music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — in music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pound — a weight
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bound — certain
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. content — the amount

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