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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. swing — to play on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. swing — in golf
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chair — a leader
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. content — happy
  19. swing — music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. key — in music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mouse — the animal

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