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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. content — the amount
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. content — happy
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. land — a country
  10. current — of water
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. scale — size or range
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — ground
  15. firm — a company
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — to come down
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. current — electric
  21. firm — decided
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a plant
  24. firm — steady

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