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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. net — for catching
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. net — in sport
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wind — moving air
  10. net — after costs
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. vault — a safe
  15. court — of a king
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bound — tied together
  19. court — for sport
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. court — of law
  24. bay — a horse colour

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