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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: jam · track · object · last · pound · stock · vault · nail

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. last — finally
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. object — a thing
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. track — a song
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — to protest
  17. pound — a weight
  18. track — a path
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. object — an aim
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. nail — on a finger

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