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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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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: bore · vault · bowl · last · track · swing · racket · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. last — final
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bore — to drill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. last — finally
  13. track — a song
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a great time
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. swing — in golf
  21. last — to go on
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ball — a dance

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