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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. can — to be able to
  3. vault — a safe
  4. court — for sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. court — of law
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bound — tied together
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cue — a signal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — for pool
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — a box
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. court — of a king
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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