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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: chair · wound · march · key · suit · bulb · rock · bound

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bound — obliged
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. march — the month
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bound — tied together
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. march — music
  20. rock — music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rock — a stone
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chair — to sit on

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