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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · coach · key · firm · degree · mine · wake · bore

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wake — a trail
  11. firm — steady
  12. bound — obliged
  13. key — in music
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bore — to drill
  17. key — for a lock
  18. degree — from a university
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. firm — decided
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — certain
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. degree — an amount

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