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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — the underground
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. root — of a word
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — all right
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tube — a container
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. content — the amount
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — happy
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fine — high quality

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