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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
468
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: last · board · bound · racket · key · arm · drill · row

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. key — in music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. drill — a practice
  6. key — for a lock
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. board — a committee
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. row — a line
  12. drill — the tool
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bound — tied together
  15. last — final
  16. key — the most important part
  17. last — finally
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. row — to paddle
  20. board — to get on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — army training
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. board — a flat piece

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