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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. content — the amount
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. content — happy
  7. bound — certain
  8. cue — for pool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pop — soda
  18. lean — thin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fork — in a road

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