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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. vault — a safe
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — in sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ball — a great time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fine — high quality
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — for catching
  13. stock — goods
  14. pound — a weight
  15. net — after costs
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fine — all right
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stock — shares
  24. key — for a lock

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