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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bound — obliged
  3. land — to come down
  4. bound — tied together
  5. land — ground
  6. content — the amount
  7. land — a country
  8. file — a document
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. file — a tool
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bound — certain
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. content — happy
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. file — a line of people

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