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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 · mark · last · swing · face · board · bound

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. bound — certain
  7. swing — music
  8. last — final
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bound — tied together
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bat — the animal
  15. last — finally
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bound — obliged
  18. last — to go on
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. board — a committee
  22. face — part of the head
  23. key — the most important part
  24. board — to get on

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