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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bound — obliged
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fine — all right
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. club — for dancing
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — a group
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bound — certain
  20. club — for golf
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fine — high quality
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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