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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cell — a phone
  4. vault — a safe
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bound — tied together
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a great time
  13. march — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. key — in music
  21. march — the month
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. key — for a lock
  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