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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. content — happy
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bound — obliged
  10. content — the amount
  11. scale — in music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bound — tied together
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tube — the underground
  19. root — the cause
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bank — of a river
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. root — of a word

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