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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · can · toast · bound · vault · pound · tear · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bound — certain
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. can — a tin
  11. toast — bread
  12. tear — from crying
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bound — tied together

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