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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bound — obliged
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. root — of a word
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bound — tied together
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. content — happy
  21. bass — the fish
  22. root — the cause
  23. bass — low music
  24. cue — a signal

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