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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: ball · bound · drill · nail · vault · mate · hide · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bound — certain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. drill — army training
  13. ball — a dance
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bound — tied together
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mate — to breed
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mate — a friend

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