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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: key · current · track · bound · nail · staff · rule · chair

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. track — to keep track
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rule — government
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — of water
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chair — a leader
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bound — certain
  19. staff — employees
  20. track — a song
  21. rule — a law
  22. current — electric
  23. bound — obliged
  24. nail — on a finger

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