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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: rush · rock · row · chair · key · last · game · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. key — for a lock
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. last — finally
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. key — the most important part
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. last — final
  16. key — in music
  17. rock — music
  18. game — wild animals
  19. row — a line
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. last — to go on
  24. game — a match

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