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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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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: mark · nail · cue · object · land · vault · ground · bound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ground — crushed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — an aim
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cue — a signal
  16. land — to come down
  17. mark — a grade
  18. vault — a safe
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. bound — certain

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