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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. field — a subject
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pound — a weight
  14. content — the amount
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. current — electric
  23. content — happy
  24. chair — a leader

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