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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pop — soda
  3. band — a ring
  4. content — happy
  5. bound — obliged
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pop — music
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. charge — a price
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — in control
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bound — certain
  18. content — the amount
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — electricity
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. band — a music group
  24. rush — to hurry

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