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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. content — happy
  4. bound — certain
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. track — a path
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pop — music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pound — a weight
  15. track — a song
  16. content — the amount
  17. track — to keep track
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pop — soda
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. suit — in cards
  24. key — in music

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