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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: branch · bound · net · vault · foot · spell · spring · club

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. foot — a measure
  3. branch — a division
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — in sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. spell — a short time
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. net — after costs
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. spell — magic
  14. net — for catching
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. spring — a coil
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. club — a group
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spell — letters

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