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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bound — certain
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a match
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. game — wild animals
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hand — help

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