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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: roll · net · capital · bound · leaves · chip · rash · vault

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chip — to eat
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. net — for catching
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rash — a series
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. capital — a city
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rash — hasty
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. roll — a cake
  23. capital — money
  24. leaves — of a tree

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