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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bound — certain
  10. field — a subject
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ruler — for measuring

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