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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rule — government
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — hurry
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. content — happy
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — the amount
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bound — certain
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rule — a law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — in music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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