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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — certain
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. charge — electricity
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. club — a group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. charge — a price
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. club — for golf
  23. game — a match
  24. content — the amount

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