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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: court · track · spell · pitcher · vault · calf · nail · dip

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. court — for sport
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — letters
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. dip — to sink
  19. track — a path
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. calf — a young animal

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