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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. content — happy
  3. bound — tied together
  4. board — to get on
  5. content — the amount
  6. bound — certain
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. board — a committee
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bound — obliged
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. present — there
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. snap — to click
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spell — letters
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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