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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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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 · stick · track · club · bound · mouse · bear · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. vault — a safe
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. club — for golf
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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