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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: bound · pitcher · perch · key · clip · bulb · vault · nail

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bound — tied together
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — a video
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — in music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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