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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — in music
  6. cold — an illness
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. can — a tin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. deal — to handle
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cold — not warm
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — rain
  21. can — to be able to
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bound — obliged
  24. racket — for tennis

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