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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 120 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: lean · arm · game · racket · content · mug · bear · bound

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bear — the animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bound — certain
  11. mug — a cup
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lean — thin
  24. mug — a face

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