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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: track · dip · pass · deal · present · mark · vault · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. present — the time now
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mark — a grade
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wake — a trail
  16. deal — to handle
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. track — a song
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. track — a path

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