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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: bound · pitcher · cabinet · content · season · cue · bulb · nail

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bound — certain
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. content — happy
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bound — tied together
  21. season — in sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. content — the amount
  24. cue — for pool

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