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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tube — a container
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bound — certain
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wind — moving air

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