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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: firm · court · hide · bound · saw · key · toast · pop

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. firm — a company
  7. court — of a king
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — soda
  11. bound — tied together
  12. key — the most important part
  13. firm — steady
  14. court — of law
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. court — for sport
  22. pop — to visit
  23. toast — bread
  24. bound — obliged

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