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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. content — happy
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bound — certain
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — the amount
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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