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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. spell — magic
  3. bound — obliged
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spell — a short time
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. rock — a stone
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. spell — letters
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bound — certain
  24. fork — to eat with

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