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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. track — a path
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bank — of a river
  12. track — a song
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — a cake
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. roll — a list
  20. bore — to tire
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. racket — for tennis

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