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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · cue · track · mate · wax · craft · vault · net

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. track — a song
  3. craft — a skill
  4. track — a path
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mate — a friend
  8. net — after costs
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mate — to breed
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. track — to keep track
  14. craft — boats
  15. swing — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cue — for pool
  18. net — in sport
  19. wax — to grow
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. net — for catching
  24. vault — a safe

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