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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. craft — boats
  3. net — for catching
  4. bound — obliged
  5. key — in music
  6. bound — certain
  7. key — for a lock
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. squash — the sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. foot — a measure
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. present — the time now
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — the most important part
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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