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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. vault — a safe
  3. roll — a cake
  4. branch — a division
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cell — a phone
  13. key — in music
  14. roll — a list
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — a path
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cell — in biology
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stock — shares

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