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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. mate — to breed
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wind — moving air
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — obliged
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. key — in music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mate — a friend
  24. key — for a lock

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