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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: bound · spring · mark · stand · kick · content · chip · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. content — happy
  4. spring — the season
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kick — in football
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bound — certain
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spring — of water
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. content — the amount
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chip — for betting
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. key — for a lock
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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