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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. drill — army training
  3. firm — a company
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. net — in sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — the most important part
  11. drill — a practice
  12. last — finally
  13. bear — the animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. last — to go on
  16. net — after costs
  17. firm — steady
  18. net — for catching
  19. firm — decided
  20. last — final
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. 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