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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · vault · trunk · land · track · degree · bark · press

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. track — a song
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tube — the underground
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — to push
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. track — a path
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. land — a country
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. degree — temperature
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. track — to keep track
  18. tube — a container
  19. bark — to shout
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. vault — a safe
  24. trunk — of a tree

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