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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · bulb · key · game · mug · bound · spell · fine

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a face
  6. march — the month
  7. game — wild animals
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. key — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — magic
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bound — certain
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. march — music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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