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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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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: bark · cap · clip · safe · bank · swing · vault · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — music
  5. clip — a video
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bark — to shout
  9. swing — to play on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. track — a path
  13. clip — for paper
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. track — to keep track
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cap — a lid
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cap — of ice
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bank — of a river

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