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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 120 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: tube · chair · bound · key · ball · spring · mark · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bound — certain
  7. spring — the season
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ball — a dance
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ball — a round shape

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