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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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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: straw · mark · game · craft · mug · object · bound · content

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bound — certain
  4. mark — a trace
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. object — a thing
  7. game — a match
  8. content — the amount
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — an aim
  15. bound — tied together
  16. object — to protest
  17. mug — to rob
  18. content — happy
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mark — a grade
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. game — a kind of play

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