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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: snap · bulb · current · vault · pit · track · last · mark

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. last — final
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a path
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a hole
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. current — happening now
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. last — to go on
  14. current — of water
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. snap — to click
  20. last — finally
  21. vault — a safe
  22. current — electric
  23. track — a song
  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