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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: mark · cabinet · track · cell · board · racket · season · vault

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. board — a committee
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. track — a path
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — of the year
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cell — a phone
  19. board — to get on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — a song
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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