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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ball — a dance
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ball — a great time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bound — tied together
  18. jam — a tight spot

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