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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. court — of a king
  6. press — a publisher
  7. content — the amount
  8. press — to push
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — humankind
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lie — to recline
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. court — of law
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. court — for sport
  24. foot — a measure

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