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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pop — soda
  4. suit — clothes
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. spring — of water
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pop — to visit
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. vault — a safe
  18. content — the amount
  19. pop — music
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. suit — in cards
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. field — farmland

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