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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: bound · vault · stand · cold · suit · march · tube · track

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. suit — to fit
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. march — the month
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bound — tied together
  9. suit — clothes
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tube — a container
  12. track — a path
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bound — obliged
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — to bear
  20. vault — a safe
  21. track — a song
  22. march — music
  23. bound — certain
  24. cold — the Cold War

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