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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: squash · mine · bay · bound · mark · key · cabinet · march

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. march — the month
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. march — music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bound — obliged
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bound — certain
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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