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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — to wash
  4. content — the amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. field — farmland
  9. mug — to rob
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. last — finally
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mug — a cup
  17. shower — rain
  18. field — a subject
  19. mug — a face
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. content — happy

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