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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: vault · swing · game · nail · mate · stock · mark · bark

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — goods
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — music
  10. mate — a friend
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mate — to breed
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stock — shares

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