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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bound — obliged
  3. key — for a lock
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. court — of a king
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. plane — a tool
  12. march — music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. foot — a measure
  23. march — the month
  24. band — a music group

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