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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. roll — a cake
  3. track — a song
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mark — a trace
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. roll — a list
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. sharp — clever
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mark — a grade
  24. straw — dry grass

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