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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — a weight
  17. content — happy
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bat — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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