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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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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: bound · racket · spring · perch · race · club · key · temple

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. key — in music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bound — certain
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — for dancing
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. spring — of water
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. club — a group
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — for a lock
  20. race — a contest
  21. club — for golf
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bound — tied together

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