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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — a gift
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. content — the amount
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mate — to breed
  11. present — the time now
  12. stock — shares
  13. mate — a partner
  14. content — happy
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bound — certain
  21. staff — a stick
  22. present — there
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mate — a friend

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