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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.

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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: bound · rush · kid · spring · court · suit · vault · mate

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kid — child
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kid — to tease
  6. spring — a coil
  7. suit — in cards
  8. court — for sport
  9. mate — a friend
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bound — tied together
  12. court — of a king
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rush — hurry
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. bound — certain
  19. mate — to breed
  20. suit — to fit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. court — of law
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rush — to hurry

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