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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: bowl · content · face · pop · bound · current · spell · pit

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — to visit
  4. spell — magic
  5. face — part of the head
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. face — to confront
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pop — music
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. content — the amount
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. current — happening now
  23. pit — in a race
  24. content — happy

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