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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: stand · mark · track · vault · cap · swing · date · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — music
  3. kid — to tease
  4. track — to keep track
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cap — a lid
  7. swing — in golf
  8. track — a path
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stand — to bear
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. track — a song
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kid — child
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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