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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 120 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 · object · straw · key · can · cap · bulb · ground

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bound — obliged
  4. object — an aim
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ground — a position
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — of ice
  13. object — a thing
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — certain
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. object — to protest

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