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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: land · roll · vault · branch · pitcher · bear · bound · nail

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. roll — a cake
  4. land — a country
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. land — ground
  8. bound — obliged
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. land — to come down
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — certain
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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