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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: bound · charge · key · bat · rush · dip · drill · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. drill — the tool
  3. key — in music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. game — a match
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. charge — a price
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bound — tied together
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. charge — in control
  17. game — wild animals
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bound — certain
  22. drill — army training
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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