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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · bore · key · bay · bound · fan · content · mate

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. key — for a lock
  4. content — the amount
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. bore — to tire
  8. key — in music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bore — to drill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — to breed
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. content — happy
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fan — a supporter

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