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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pass — a permit
  3. scale — in music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bound — certain
  10. root — of a word
  11. content — happy
  12. root — of a plant
  13. content — the amount
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. season — of the year
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bound — tied together
  18. scale — size or range
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. roll — a cake
  21. season — in sport
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. root — the cause
  24. pass — to spend 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