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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: pit · key · wound · bound · fine · bat · bowl · bay

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bound — tied together
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bound — certain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — all right
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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