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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 120 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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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: temple · cell · bound · racket · pop · craft · mate · vault

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — obliged
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cell — a phone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pop — soda
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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