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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. kid — child
  3. content — the amount
  4. bound — obliged
  5. present — the time now
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. present — a gift
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bat — the animal
  18. present — there
  19. bound — certain
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. prune — to trim
  23. content — happy
  24. bound — tied together

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