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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. swing — music
  5. roll — a list
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. key — in music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — magic
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spell — letters
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. key — for a lock
  22. roll — a cake
  23. sharp — clever
  24. key — the most important part

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