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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fine — all right
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — high quality
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ball — a great time

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