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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bound — obliged
  3. staff — employees
  4. content — the amount
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. staff — employees
  7. land — to come down
  8. bound — tied together
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fine — all right
  15. mug — to rob
  16. content — happy
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mug — a face
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mine — for digging

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