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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 · bowl · track · key · tube · rush · pitch · vault

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tube — a container
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. track — a song
  9. key — for a lock
  10. track — a path
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bound — certain
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. key — in music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — the underground

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