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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. board — a committee
  6. kid — child
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. board — to get on
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bound — certain
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fine — all right
  23. tube — a container
  24. stand — for spectators

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