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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. key — the most important part
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bore — to tire
  6. row — a line
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. row — to paddle
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pop — music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pop — soda
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bound — certain
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cue — for pool

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