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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
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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: track · pop · ground · perch · vault · fork · shower · key

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. key — in music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. track — a path
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pop — soda
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pop — to visit
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — rain
  21. pop — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. perch — for a bird
  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