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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: chair · bound · toast · temple · pass · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bound — certain
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bound — obliged
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pass — a permit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. key — in music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. toast — bread
  18. chair — a leader

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