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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: bass · tube · sharp · temple · hand · content · jam · bound

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bound — certain
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — the fish
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. tube — a container
  12. content — happy
  13. hand — help
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. content — the amount
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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