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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. bound — certain
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — for golf
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. last — final
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. present — a gift
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. club — a group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rock — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bound — obliged
  19. row — to paddle
  20. present — there
  21. club — for dancing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — a line
  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