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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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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: bore · key · toast · bound · cap · row

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bore — to tire
  7. key — in music
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. toast — bread
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bore — to drill
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line

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