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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. charge — in control
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. content — happy
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bound — obliged
  12. scale — in music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. scale — size or range
  19. charge — a price
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bound — certain
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — a trainer

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