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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. band — a ring
  3. stand — to bear
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. plane — a tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. track — a song
  12. band — a music group
  13. bass — the fish
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bass — low music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stock — goods
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stock — shares
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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