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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — a group
  6. content — happy
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — the amount
  9. key — the most important part
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. club — for dancing
  15. key — in music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. club — for golf
  19. clip — a video
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — for a lock
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ruler — for measuring

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