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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mug — a face
  4. current — of water
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. club — a group
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. firm — steady
  12. club — for golf
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — a company
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — decided
  17. current — electric
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wound — an injury
  21. key — in music
  22. bound — certain
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. current — happening now

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