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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: track · vault · rule · nail · board · band · hand · root

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rule — a law
  5. band — a music group
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. root — the cause
  9. vault — a safe
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — help
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rule — government
  22. band — a ring
  23. board — a committee
  24. track — a path

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