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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · track · bark · land · fine · vault · bank · ground

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — all right
  6. bark — to shout
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ground — a position
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cap — a lid
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. land — to come down
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cap — a hat
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. land — ground
  21. ground — crushed
  22. land — a country
  23. track — a song
  24. bank — for money

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