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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · mine · vault · staff · craft · last · dip · track

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. dip — to sink
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — boats
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. vault — a safe
  10. last — finally
  11. track — a song
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mine — for digging
  21. track — a path
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. craft — a skill

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