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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.

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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: bay · bound · club · safe · vault · roll · pit · shower

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pit — in a race
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. shower — to wash
  6. club — for dancing
  7. roll — a cake
  8. shower — rain
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. vault — a safe
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — a hole
  21. roll — a list
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bound — tied together
  24. roll — on a roll

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