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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. sharp — clever
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. key — in music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bound — certain
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bowl — to roll

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