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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: key · bound · arm · roll · cue · squash · march · pit

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. roll — a list
  6. march — the month
  7. key — the most important part
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. key — for a lock
  10. roll — a cake
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cue — for pool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bound — certain
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pit — in a race
  24. squash — to crush

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