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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ground — the earth
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — tied together
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bound — obliged
  9. content — the amount
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — a position
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. tube — the underground
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a song

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