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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — the amount
  7. tube — a container
  8. content — happy
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — obliged
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bound — certain
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. tube — the underground

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