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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: bat · key · bound · rock · leaves · pass · squash · bear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. squash — the sport
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rock — a stone
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. key — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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