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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lean — thin
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bound — tied together
  9. club — for golf
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stand — to bear
  14. content — happy
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bound — certain
  18. club — a group
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — in music
  24. stand — on your feet

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