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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. season — of the year
  8. object — a thing
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fine — all right
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bound — certain
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fine — high quality
  15. season — in sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. swing — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bound — tied together
  24. content — videos and posts

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