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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: mine · jam · vault · bound · object · mouse · squash · march

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mine — for digging
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — certain
  8. object — to protest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. object — an aim
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bound — tied together
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. march — music
  24. mine — an explosive

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