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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. craft — boats
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. content — the amount
  5. bound — certain
  6. court — for sport
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. content — happy
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. club — for golf
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bound — obliged
  13. firm — decided
  14. club — a group
  15. pound — a weight
  16. club — for dancing
  17. firm — steady
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bound — tied together
  23. firm — a company
  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