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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. band — a ring
  3. bound — certain
  4. present — the time now
  5. vault — a safe
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. capital — a city
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. band — a music group
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. content — happy
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — money
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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