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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — a hole
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — the amount
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pit — in a race
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pop — music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. band — a ring
  21. content — happy
  22. pop — soda
  23. band — a music group
  24. stand — for spectators

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