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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. 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. track — to keep track
  2. pit — a hole
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. track — a path
  5. object — an aim
  6. board — to get on
  7. drill — a practice
  8. track — a song
  9. board — a committee
  10. object — to protest
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. drill — army training
  13. object — a thing
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. 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