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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: ground · bound · cue · bowl · tear · march · kick · vault

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. march — music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cue — for pool
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — a position
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bound — certain
  14. ground — crushed
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — a signal

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