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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: bear · sharp · staff · stock · roll · track · swing · vault

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — music
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — goods
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. roll — a list
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. staff — employees
  17. swing — in golf
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. vault — a safe
  22. swing — to play on
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. track — a song

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