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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. content — happy
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bass — the fish
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. capital — a city
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. capital — money

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