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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. season — of the year
  7. deal — to handle
  8. game — a match
  9. bound — certain
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fork — in a road
  22. season — in sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — happy

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