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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: tube · game · cell · jam · firm · present · bound · spell

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. tube — a container
  3. bound — certain
  4. present — the time now
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spell — a short time
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — the underground
  14. firm — decided
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cell — a phone
  17. spell — letters
  18. present — there
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. firm — steady
  21. present — a gift
  22. cell — in biology
  23. spell — magic
  24. firm — a company

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