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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. suit — in cards
  3. scale — in music
  4. game — a match
  5. season — in sport
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. season — of the year
  8. key — the most important part
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bound — tied together
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — certain
  14. content — happy
  15. game — wild animals
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. suit — to fit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. content — the amount
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. game — a kind of play

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