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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. vault — a safe
  6. net — in sport
  7. rock — music
  8. mug — a cup
  9. last — finally
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — to breed
  13. last — final
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. last — to go on
  21. track — a song
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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