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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: drill · pass · key · object · fine · bound · march · rush

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. drill — army training
  11. bound — certain
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. drill — the tool
  15. key — in music
  16. fine — all right
  17. march — the month
  18. object — an aim
  19. march — music
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pass — a permit
  24. march — the month

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