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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 124 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bound — tied together
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. board — a committee
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — low music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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