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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: vault · coach · ruler · stock · pop · snap · last · bound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — certain
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. last — to go on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. last — final
  15. pop — soda
  16. snap — to click
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. last — finally
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bound — obliged
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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