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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 124 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a dance
  5. foot — a measure
  6. current — electric
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. capital — a city
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ball — a great time
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. content — the amount
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. current — happening now
  16. content — happy
  17. bound — tied together
  18. current — of water
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. capital — money
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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