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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: chair · mate · key · squash · bulb · bound · jam · leaves

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. key — in music
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mate — a partner
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bound — obliged
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bulb — for light
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chair — a leader
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bulb — for light

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