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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: rock · bound · firm · sharp · vault · kid · court · rest

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kid — child
  5. firm — a company
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. court — of a king
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. firm — steady
  11. rock — a stone
  12. firm — decided
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rest — a break

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