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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: club · clip · pitcher · craft · cabinet · bound · vault · content

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. craft — boats
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. clip — to cut
  6. club — for golf
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. vault — a safe
  12. content — the amount
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — a skill
  15. content — happy
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — certain
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. club — a group
  20. clip — a video
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. club — for dancing
  23. clip — for paper
  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