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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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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: bound · safe · craft · vault · land · shower · field · bat

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. field — for sport
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bat — the animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bound — certain
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — to wash
  11. field — a subject
  12. land — ground
  13. shower — rain
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bound — tied together
  16. land — to come down
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bound — obliged
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. craft — boats
  23. field — farmland
  24. land — a country

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