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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 · fine · current · race · pound · drill · fan · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. drill — the tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — a contest
  9. pound — a weight
  10. drill — army training
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bound — certain
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. drill — a practice
  21. current — happening now
  22. bound — tied together
  23. key — in music
  24. race — humankind

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