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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mate — a partner
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mate — a friend
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bound — certain
  16. mate — to breed
  17. band — a music group
  18. bound — tied together
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — obliged
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — a weight

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