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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: mine · bound · court · vault · face · object · suit · jam

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. face — to confront
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bound — obliged
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. suit — in cards
  8. object — to protest
  9. court — of law
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. court — of a king
  13. object — a thing
  14. bound — certain
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. court — for sport
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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