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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: cabinet · mug · court · bark · nail · vault · last · track

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mug — a face
  3. court — of a king
  4. last — to go on
  5. court — for sport
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. court — of law
  10. last — final
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. track — a path
  22. last — finally
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bark — to shout

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