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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bore — to drill
  3. squash — to crush
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pop — music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. board — to get on
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bore — to tire
  12. board — a committee
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. squash — the sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bound — tied together
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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