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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 116 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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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: racket · pass · kick · tube · prune · bowl · track · vault

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tube — the underground
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kick — in football
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — a container
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pass — a permit
  20. vault — a safe
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tube — in a tire

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