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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mug — a cup
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spell — letters
  7. mug — to rob
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mug — a face
  10. bound — certain
  11. pop — soda
  12. spell — magic
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bound — tied together
  16. clip — a video
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spell — a short time
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. pop — music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pitch — completely

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