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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bass — low music
  3. pound — a weight
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — of water
  8. bass — the fish
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — a song
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. current — happening now
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. current — electric
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — to keep track
  24. trunk — of a tree

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