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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: suit · key · ground · scale · kid · march · wave · bound

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kid — child
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bound — certain
  9. key — the most important part
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ground — crushed
  12. march — the month
  13. kid — to tease
  14. march — music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bound — obliged
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bound — tied together
  20. key — in music
  21. scale — in music
  22. ground — a position
  23. march — the month
  24. ground — the earth

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