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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: stock · mine · calf · track · temple · bat · rash · vault

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — to keep track
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stock — goods
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. track — a song
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. track — a path
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — a place of worship

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