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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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 — tied together
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bound — certain
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. present — the time now
  7. field — a subject
  8. present — there
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. present — a gift
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bank — of a river
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bank — for money
  18. clip — a video
  19. field — farmland
  20. content — the amount
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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