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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: sharp · bear · stock · prune · key · vault · chest · bound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stock — goods
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bound — tied together
  9. vault — a safe
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bound — obliged
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chest — a box
  24. key — in music

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