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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — to drill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. game — a match
  6. bass — low music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bound — certain
  15. scale — in music
  16. key — in music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tube — a container
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. tube — the underground

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