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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: bass · swing · fall · vault · foot · track · ball · band

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. swing — to play on
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bass — low music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ball — a great time
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. foot — a measure
  21. band — a music group
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — music

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