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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. track — to keep track
  3. content — the amount
  4. bound — obliged
  5. track — a song
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. content — happy
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bound — certain
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bore — to tire
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. track — a path
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bound — tied together
  24. foot — a measure

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