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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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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 · content · file · deal · toast · swing · wake · bound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. key — for a lock
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. swing — music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. toast — bread
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. swing — in golf
  15. content — happy
  16. swing — to play on
  17. key — in music
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. content — the amount
  21. bound — tied together
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. content — videos and posts

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