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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. track — to keep track
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bound — obliged
  7. perch — the fish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. firm — decided
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — a path
  13. game — a match
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bound — certain
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — tied together
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. track — a song

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