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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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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: bound · vault · jam · lean · rash · date · track · perch

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — a safe
  8. date — the fruit
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rash — a series
  11. track — a song
  12. lean — thin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bound — certain
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rash — hasty
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bound — tied together
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lean — to bend
  24. track — to keep track

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