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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: bark · net · bowl · lean · vault · object · rash · track

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. track — a path
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. object — to protest
  8. net — in sport
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. object — an aim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rash — a series
  16. lean — thin
  17. net — after costs
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. object — a thing
  22. rash — hasty
  23. net — for catching
  24. bowl — to roll

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