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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 116 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 · mouse · spring · cue · file · vault · bark · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cue — a hint
  3. spring — the season
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. vault — a safe
  7. track — a song
  8. firm — decided
  9. file — a line of people
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bark — to shout
  12. file — a tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cue — a signal
  17. firm — steady
  18. spring — of water
  19. file — a document
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bark — of a tree

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