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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. object — an aim
  8. bound — certain
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cue — a signal
  11. drill — army training
  12. content — the amount
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bound — tied together
  15. roll — a cake
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. content — happy
  19. fine — all right
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — the tool
  24. roll — a list

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