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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. roll — a cake
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — tied together
  6. vault — a safe
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. roll — a list
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — happy
  11. present — a gift
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. object — a thing
  18. present — there
  19. bound — obliged
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. content — the amount
  23. present — the time now
  24. racket — a loud noise

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