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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · ball · vault · pitcher · content · band · stick · wake

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. band — a ring
  3. bound — tied together
  4. band — a music group
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bound — obliged
  7. content — happy
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a dance
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bound — certain
  16. vault — a safe
  17. content — the amount
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wake — a trail
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ball — a round shape

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