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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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Word bank
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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: bear · leaves · content · game · cue · rock · tube · bound

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bound — certain
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rock — a stone
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rock — music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. game — a match
  13. bear — the animal
  14. content — happy
  15. cue — a signal
  16. content — the amount
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bound — obliged
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. tube — a container
  24. leaves — to go away

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