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

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. vault — a safe
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. land — ground
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. staff — employees
  11. club — for dancing
  12. track — a song
  13. club — a group
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. club — for golf
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — a country
  19. march — music
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — to keep track
  24. land — to come down

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