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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. scale — in music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. clip — a video
  7. pound — a weight
  8. key — in music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bound — certain
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. clip — for paper
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. deal — to handle
  16. key — for a lock
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — thin
  19. court — for sport
  20. bound — tied together
  21. court — of a king
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. scale — size or range
  24. clip — to cut

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