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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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Word bank
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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. kick — in football
  6. march — the month
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — in a road
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — the month
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. track — a song
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. vault — a safe
  22. march — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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