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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: pass · squash · wound · march · bound · key · roll · mine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. march — the month
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. squash — the sport
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mine — for digging
  11. key — the most important part
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pass — a permit
  15. key — in music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. squash — to crush
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — certain
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. roll — a list
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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