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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. club — a group
  3. content — the amount
  4. present — there
  5. object — to protest
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. present — the time now
  9. ball — a dance
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. club — for dancing
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bound — certain
  16. object — a thing
  17. content — happy
  18. squash — the sport
  19. present — a gift
  20. club — for golf
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ball — a great time

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