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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. content — happy
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the fish
  10. deal — to handle
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — the amount
  22. bass — low music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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