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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: mouse · shower · branch · court · foot · vault · bound · toast

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. court — of law
  7. shower — rain
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. toast — bread
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. court — of a king
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. foot — a measure
  24. vault — a safe

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