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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pit — a hole
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bass — low music
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. band — a music group
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — the fish
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. band — a ring
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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