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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. content — the amount
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. present — there
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. track — a song
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. present — a gift
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — the time now
  21. vault — a safe
  22. track — a path
  23. degree — an amount
  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