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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 · chest · content · net · pass · clip · pit · suit

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. clip — for paper
  5. chest — of your body
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chest — a box
  16. net — for catching
  17. chest — of your body
  18. clip — a video
  19. bound — tied together
  20. net — after costs
  21. content — happy
  22. pit — a hole
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pit — in a race

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