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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. game — a match
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pop — music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bound — tied together
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pop — soda
  20. charge — electricity
  21. vault — a safe
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. pop — to visit

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