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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. can — to be able to
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. can — a tin
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bound — tied together
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. content — the amount
  24. bowl — to roll

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