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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · racket · ball · degree · vault · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — a path
  3. degree — temperature
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. track — to keep track
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. degree — from a university
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ball — a great time
  17. track — a song
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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