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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · craft · face · key · content · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. content — happy
  3. bound — obliged
  4. face — to confront
  5. content — the amount
  6. key — in music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. craft — a skill
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. key — for a lock
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — the most important part
  17. face — part of the head
  18. craft — boats

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