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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 120 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: board · vault · mine · track · spell · coach · deal · object

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — for digging
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. object — a thing
  10. board — to get on
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. board — a committee
  16. spell — letters
  17. object — to protest
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spell — magic
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. track — to keep track
  24. deal — to handle

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