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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — a path
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — to breed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. mate — a friend
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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