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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: present · key · bay · pass · pop · stick · bat · bound

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bound — obliged
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. present — there
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bound — certain
  14. present — a gift
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pop — soda
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. present — the time now
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pop — music
  22. key — in music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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