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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — tied together
  4. board — a committee
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. swing — to play on
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bound — certain
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bound — obliged
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. board — to get on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. swing — music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — a flat piece

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