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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rock — music
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ground — crushed
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rock — a stone
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ground — a position
  11. content — the amount
  12. bound — certain
  13. club — for golf
  14. file — a document
  15. club — a group
  16. file — a tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. squash — to crush
  20. content — happy
  21. ground — the earth
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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