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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. key — for a lock
  3. net — after costs
  4. key — in music
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a path
  7. bound — obliged
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rock — a stone
  10. swing — music
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — the most important part
  13. content — the amount
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lie — to recline
  16. track — to keep track
  17. swing — in golf
  18. content — happy
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — a song
  24. bound — certain

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