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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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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. key — for a lock
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — in music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — a series
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bound — tied together
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — a football final

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