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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. court — of a king
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — employees
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. court — for sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. staff — employees
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. staff — a stick
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bound — certain
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. game — a match
  23. bound — tied together
  24. court — of law

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