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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: cabinet · track · bowl · ground · pass · squash · sharp · vault

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pass — a permit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. track — a song
  7. ground — a position
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. track — a path
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. ground — crushed
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. track — to keep track

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