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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. track — a song
  3. fork — in a road
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bound — obliged
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spring — of water
  13. bound — certain
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rock — music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. spring — the season
  18. rock — a stone
  19. vault — a safe
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. track — a path
  24. cap — of ice

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