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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bound — tied together
  4. saw — the tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rock — music
  8. bound — certain
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. tube — a container
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. content — happy
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. content — the amount
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. ground — the earth
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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