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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. club — for golf
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. track — a path
  6. kid — child
  7. mark — a grade
  8. club — for dancing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kid — to tease
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. track — a song
  22. perch — the fish
  23. club — a group
  24. pound — a weight

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