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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bound — certain
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bass — low music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pound — a weight
  11. march — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bass — the fish
  24. key — the most important part

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