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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 120 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: stand · key · racket · hand · tube · object · fork · bound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — tied together
  11. object — an aim
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bound — certain
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. hand — help
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. tube — the underground
  22. key — in music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hand — in cards

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