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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: pitcher · mouse · vault · cabinet · wake · bound · track · toast

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. vault — a safe
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. bound — obliged
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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