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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: stick · board · object · bound · mark · fall · date · key

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bound — certain
  3. key — the most important part
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fall — to drop
  8. object — to protest
  9. mark — a trace
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. object — an aim
  13. board — a committee
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — the fruit
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bound — tied together
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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