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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · object · charge · field · content · lie · bass · bound

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. content — the amount
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lie — to recline
  5. field — a subject
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — tied together
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bound — certain
  12. bass — low music
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. field — for sport
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — happy
  20. field — farmland
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. charge — a price
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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