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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — to keep track
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. track — a song
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fine — all right
  24. track — a path

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