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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. key — the most important part
  3. court — for sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. court — of a king
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. key — in music
  13. bark — to shout
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. court — of law
  16. fine — high quality
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bound — certain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — all right
  24. arm — part of the body

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