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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: land · perch · content · key · bound · nail · fork · toast

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — happy
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — in a road
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. key — the most important part
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. content — the amount
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. key — in music
  20. land — a country
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. key — for a lock

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