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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. vault — a safe
  5. season — of the year
  6. bound — certain
  7. land — to come down
  8. bound — obliged
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. land — a country
  11. fork — in a road
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. land — ground
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — tied together

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