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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: content · bound · charge · chair · pound · cue · pitcher · saw

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bound — certain
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — in control
  7. content — happy
  8. bound — obliged
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — for pool
  11. charge — a price
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. charge — electricity
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — the amount
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pound — a weight
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cue — a hint

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