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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 116 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: spell · patient · content · firm · ground · vault · ball · bound

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spell — a short time
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bound — certain
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — the amount
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spell — magic
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. content — happy
  12. ground — a position
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. firm — decided
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a great time
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ground — the earth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. firm — a company
  23. bound — obliged
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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