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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: suit · vault · nail · racket · firm · track · degree · bay

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. track — a song
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. firm — decided
  11. degree — temperature
  12. firm — a company
  13. degree — an amount
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. degree — from a university
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. firm — steady
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — a safe
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. racket — for tennis

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