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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: wind · band · club · vault · drill · track · coach · firm

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. club — for golf
  6. firm — decided
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — steady
  10. drill — army training
  11. club — a group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — to keep track
  18. drill — a practice
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. firm — a company
  24. wind — moving air

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