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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: hide · track · coach · foot · court · bat · fork · vault

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. track — a path
  8. court — of a king
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — in a road
  15. foot — a measure
  16. court — of law
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — for sport
  20. bat — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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