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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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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: fan · vault · pound · staff · racket · track · row · calf

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. pound — a weight
  17. track — a path
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — to keep track
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fan — a supporter

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