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

Word bank: craft · racket · rest · bay · spring · bound · perch · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bound — certain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — a break
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — obliged
  22. craft — boats
  23. rest — what's left
  24. vault — a safe

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