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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: stick · track · toast · net · bulb · vault · ground · row

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. toast — bread
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — a position
  15. net — in sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. net — for catching
  19. track — a song
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. net — after costs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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