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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bound · file · jam · racket · bear · rule · leaves

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bound — certain
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. key — the most important part
  5. file — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. key — for a lock
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — a law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. bound — tied together
  18. file — a document
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. key — in music
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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