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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. content — happy
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. object — to protest
  10. content — the amount
  11. object — a thing
  12. charge — in control
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. row — a line
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. row — to paddle
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rock — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. object — an aim

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