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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · game · present · stick · bound · rush

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — the time now
  3. game — a match
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. key — in music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. present — a gift
  10. bound — certain
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. present — there
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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