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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
468
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: vault · bank · track · season · sharp · rest · net · fork

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fork — in a road
  7. net — after costs
  8. bank — of a river
  9. season — in sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. net — for catching
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. sharp — clever
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. track — to keep track
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. track — a song
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rest — what's left

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