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

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a great time
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. board — a committee
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a round shape

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