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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: track · season · ball · mark · bank · leaves · vault · bass

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bank — of a river
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — in sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. season — of the year
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mark — a trace
  19. track — a song
  20. bank — for money
  21. vault — a safe
  22. track — a path
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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