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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. band — a ring
  4. bound — tied together
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bound — obliged
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mine — for digging
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. drill — a practice
  16. band — a music group
  17. drill — army training
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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