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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bound — tied together
  3. net — in sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bound — certain
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — bread
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. content — happy
  11. file — a tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. pop — soda
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. content — the amount
  18. bound — obliged
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pop — music
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. net — for catching
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. toast — the most admired

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