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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. content — the amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pop — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — tied together
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. kick — in football
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. saw — the tool
  20. content — happy
  21. net — for catching
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rock — a stone
  24. net — after costs

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