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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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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 · firm · bowl · toast · snap · rock · content · bay

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. firm — a company
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. content — happy
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. snap — to click
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. firm — steady
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rock — music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. content — the amount
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bound — certain

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