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

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. shower — rain
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. shower — to wash
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ground — a position
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — a path
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bank — of a river
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — the earth
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. track — a song

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