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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: key · bound · bulb · mark · degree · track · cabinet · coach

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — certain
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. degree — temperature
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bound — obliged
  12. key — the most important part
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a trace
  19. track — a song
  20. degree — an amount
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bound — tied together

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