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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bound — tied together
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. sharp — clever
  9. court — of a king
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — for sport
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — obliged
  14. court — of law
  15. content — the amount
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — a measure
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. content — happy
  23. cap — of ice
  24. prune — to trim

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