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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rest — a break
  3. bound — certain
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bound — tied together
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — the amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. prune — to trim
  18. content — happy
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — a permit
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. scale — in music
  24. pass — to succeed

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