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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: foot · deal · bass · cabinet · track · clip · staff · vault

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. vault — a safe
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. clip — a video
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. staff — employees
  18. clip — to cut
  19. staff — employees
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. track — a song
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. deal — to handle

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