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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 116 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: cabinet · rule · vault · bank · band · squash · court · bound

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a ring
  6. bank — for money
  7. court — for sport
  8. bound — certain
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bound — obliged
  15. court — of a king
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bound — tied together
  22. vault — a safe
  23. court — of law
  24. rule — a law

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