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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bound — certain
  3. net — in sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. net — after costs
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fine — all right
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — for catching

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