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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. firm — decided
  5. spell — magic
  6. firm — steady
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. file — a document
  9. ball — a dance
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. spell — a short time
  13. firm — a company
  14. file — a tool
  15. can — to be able to
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bound — obliged
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — the amount
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. can — a tin
  24. ball — a great time

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