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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 · march · track · court · cue · bay · safe · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. track — to keep track
  5. march — the month
  6. track — a path
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a song
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. court — of a king
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. vault — a safe
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. court — of law
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. court — for sport
  24. march — music

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