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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bound — certain
  4. clip — for paper
  5. key — in music
  6. rule — a law
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. bound — tied together
  10. drill — army training
  11. rule — government
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bat — the animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. drill — the tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. bat — in an idiom

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