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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: date · cold · suit · perch · straw · track · vault · board

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. track — a path
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. vault — a safe
  9. suit — clothes
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. date — the fruit
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. board — a committee
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. board — to get on
  24. suit — in cards

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