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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 · net · band · temple · fan · safe · key · court

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bound — tied together
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bound — certain
  7. court — of law
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — obliged
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — of a king
  13. net — in sport
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. court — for sport
  19. key — in music
  20. net — for catching
  21. band — a ring
  22. key — for a lock
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. band — a music group

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