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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: patient · bark · track · tube · drill · ball · vault · wound

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wound — an injury
  7. drill — army training
  8. track — to keep track
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. track — a path
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — a song
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. vault — a safe
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wound — an injury

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