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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 116 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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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 — obliged
  2. object — an aim
  3. charge — a price
  4. present — there
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. present — a gift
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. degree — temperature
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mate — a partner
  12. sharp — clever
  13. degree — from a university
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bound — tied together
  16. charge — in control
  17. content — the amount
  18. bound — certain
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. present — the time now
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. degree — an amount
  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