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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fine — high quality
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — happy
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — all right
  8. content — the amount
  9. march — the month
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bound — obliged
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bound — tied together
  24. march — music

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