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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · stick · cell · wake · content · bore · bound · current

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. content — happy
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. content — the amount
  7. bound — certain
  8. current — of water
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bore — to drill

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