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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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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: fine · swing · fork · land · mark · track · vault · leaves

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. swing — to play on
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mark — a grade
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — a path
  17. swing — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. swing — in golf
  20. vault — a safe
  21. track — a song
  22. fine — all right
  23. track — to keep track
  24. leaves — 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