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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: pit · mark · cue · cabinet · bark · bowl · key · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. key — in music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. key — for a lock

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