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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · pop · stick · land · vault · chair · sharp · bound

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — ground
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chair — a leader
  8. land — a country
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bound — obliged
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pop — to visit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — to come down
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pop — music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pop — soda
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bound — certain
  24. sharp — with an edge

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