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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: rash · can · saw · track · rock · capital · board · vault

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — a path
  5. rash — hasty
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rock — a stone
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. board — a committee
  12. saw — the tool
  13. capital — money
  14. can — to be able to
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rash — a series
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. can — a tin
  20. vault — a safe
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rock — music
  23. board — to get on
  24. capital — a city

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