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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: ground · row · season · toast · track · vault · bay · swing

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. toast — bread
  6. track — a path
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — a song
  9. ground — a position
  10. swing — music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. row — to paddle
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — to keep track
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. row — a line
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ground — crushed
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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