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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bound — tied together
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — certain
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — to crush
  10. dip — to sink
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bound — obliged
  18. key — in music

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