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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: rest · roll · net · vault · clip · rock · pound · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. net — after costs
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. roll — a list
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rest — a break
  10. vault — a safe
  11. net — in sport
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. net — for catching
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rock — a stone
  18. clip — a video
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rock — music
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rest — what's left

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