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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · track · bark · land · ruler · nail · pitcher · race

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. land — ground
  4. track — a song
  5. land — a country
  6. race — a contest
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — to shout
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. track — a path
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. race — humankind
  23. vault — a safe
  24. land — to come down

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