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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. content — the amount
  5. foot — a measure
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ball — a great time
  8. field — farmland
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. field — a subject
  18. bound — tied together
  19. craft — boats
  20. bound — obliged
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ball — a dance
  23. field — for sport
  24. content — happy

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