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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.

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: mine · racket · leaves · key · drill · rock · bound · squash

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bound — obliged
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. mine — for digging
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. drill — army training
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. drill — the tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rock — music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rock — a stone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. key — in music

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