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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · bound · net · vault · squash · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — to crush
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. squash — the sport
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. net — in sport
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. net — after costs
  18. kid — to tease

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