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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bowl · arm · toast · bound · pass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. content — the amount
  6. bound — tied together
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. toast — bread
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bound — obliged

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