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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. bore — gave birth
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. capital — money
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bass — low music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. capital — a city
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. perch — the fish

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