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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · snap · land · ball · track · craft · can · vault

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. land — ground
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. track — a song
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — to keep track
  9. can — to be able to
  10. snap — to click
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — to come down
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. can — a tin
  17. vault — a safe
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. land — a country
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ball — a round shape
  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