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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: bound · firm · clip · squash · rock · content · swing · spell

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. swing — music
  3. content — the amount
  4. bound — obliged
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rock — music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. swing — to play on
  10. firm — decided
  11. bound — tied together
  12. clip — for paper
  13. spell — magic
  14. rock — a stone
  15. firm — steady
  16. spell — letters
  17. firm — a company
  18. clip — to cut
  19. content — happy
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bound — certain
  23. clip — a video
  24. squash — to crush

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