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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stand — to bear
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bore — to drill
  14. season — in sport
  15. present — there
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — of the year
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. present — the time now
  24. chair — to sit on

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