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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: bound · squash · stick · bore · pitcher · current · stand · key

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — certain
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. current — electric
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. current — of water
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — happening now

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