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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — obliged
  3. object — to protest
  4. bound — certain
  5. object — an aim
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mug — to rob
  10. object — a thing
  11. track — a song
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. vault — a safe
  21. track — a path
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bore — to drill
  24. band — a music group

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