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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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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: vault · nail · net · bulb · track · bore · bound · arm

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. net — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. net — after costs
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. track — a song
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — for catching
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. track — a path
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bound — certain

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