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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: wound · snap · track · vault · racket · tube · bowl · current

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. current — electric
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. track — a song
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. vault — a safe
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tube — a container
  15. wound — an injury
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. current — of water
  19. track — to keep track
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — happening now
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. track — a path

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