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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: vault · track · hide · content · bank · bark · march · cap

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — to keep track
  3. content — happy
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. content — the amount
  11. bank — of a river
  12. march — the month
  13. cap — of ice
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cap — a lid
  17. track — a song
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. march — the month
  20. track — a path
  21. march — music
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cap — a hat

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