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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — certain
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — for digging
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chair — a leader
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. key — in music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rest — a break
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. firm — a company
  20. club — for golf
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. club — a group
  23. bound — obliged
  24. club — for dancing

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