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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: rest · vault · bound · kid · chair · sharp · racket · ground

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — child
  11. ground — a position
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bound — obliged
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. sharp — clever
  19. kid — to tease
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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