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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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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: firm · object · band · wound · staff · vault · bat · mark

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mark — a trace
  4. firm — steady
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a ring
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. object — a thing
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. object — to protest
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. band — a music group
  15. staff — a stick
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mark — a grade
  20. vault — a safe
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — a company
  23. object — an aim
  24. firm — decided

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