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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 112 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. content — happy
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. present — the time now
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. key — for a lock
  13. charge — a price
  14. bound — certain
  15. charge — electricity
  16. row — a line
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rock — a stone
  19. content — the amount
  20. present — a gift
  21. rock — music
  22. charge — in control
  23. row — to paddle
  24. present — there

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