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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 116 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: scale · stick · fan · mug · bound · stock · key · swing

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — certain
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. key — in music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — size or range
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. swing — music
  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