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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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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 · mouse · charge · hand · net · lean · track · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. ground — a position
  2. track — a path
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ground — the earth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. track — a song
  9. lean — thin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hand — help
  12. lean — to bend
  13. charge — in control
  14. hand — in cards
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ground — crushed
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. track — to keep track
  22. charge — a price
  23. mouse — the animal
  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