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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. face — to confront
  3. bound — certain
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — in music
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — to play on
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — a position
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — for a lock
  15. charge — in control
  16. face — to point toward
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. perch — the fish
  20. charge — a price
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bound — tied together
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ground — crushed

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