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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. key — in music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — army training
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bound — certain
  22. current — of water
  23. bat — the animal
  24. drill — a practice

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