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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: present · track · roll · kid · leaves · staff · prune · vault

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. present — there
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — a list
  7. present — a gift
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. track — a path
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — the time now
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kid — to tease
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. kid — child
  17. prune — to trim
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. roll — a cake
  20. staff — a stick
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. vault — a safe
  24. staff — employees

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