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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: bulb · field · board · pass · track · bound · dip · key

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — for a lock
  9. track — a path
  10. field — for sport
  11. track — a song
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. dip — to sink
  17. key — in music
  18. board — to get on
  19. field — farmland
  20. pass — a permit
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bound — certain
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — the most important part

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