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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. court — for sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. track — to keep track
  10. court — of law
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. charge — electricity
  13. track — a path
  14. bass — the fish
  15. charge — a price
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bound — certain
  18. track — a song
  19. content — the amount
  20. charge — in control
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — of a king
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bass — the instrument

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