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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — a song
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. sharp — clever
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bound — tied together
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. saw — the tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bass — low music
  12. bound — certain
  13. key — in music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bound — obliged
  16. content — happy
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. deal — to handle
  20. track — a path
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bass — the fish
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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