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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rock — music
  8. track — a song
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bound — tied together
  11. key — in music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rock — a stone
  19. track — a path
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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