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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — the amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — of water
  11. content — happy
  12. bound — certain
  13. ball — a great time
  14. current — happening now
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. current — electric
  21. cell — in biology
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bank — for money
  24. ball — a round shape

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