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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. file — a document
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. craft — boats
  11. content — the amount
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bound — tied together
  14. content — happy
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. craft — a handicraft

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