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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.

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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. scale — in music
  4. ground — a position
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ground — the earth
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ground — crushed
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bound — obliged
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bound — certain

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