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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
468
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 · bound · key · kid · chest · can · scale · fork

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chest — of your body
  7. kid — to tease
  8. chest — a box
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kid — child
  11. chest — of your body
  12. scale — size or range
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bound — tied together
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bound — certain
  24. bulb — of a plant

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