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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fine — all right
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mark — a grade
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pound — a weight
  13. present — the time now
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bore — to tire
  16. present — a gift
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cell — a phone
  20. key — in music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bound — certain
  24. present — there

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