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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. root — the cause
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. content — the amount
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rest — a break
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. clip — a video
  19. root — of a word
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bound — certain
  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