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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. key — in music
  3. club — a group
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bound — certain
  8. key — for a lock
  9. club — for golf
  10. cell — a phone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cell — in biology
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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