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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.

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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. bound — tied together
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. season — in sport
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bound — certain
  14. key — the most important part
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. key — for a lock
  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