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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. tear — from crying
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. key — in music
  22. board — a committee
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wound — an injury

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