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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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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: rock · swing · track · date · racket · vault · snap · bound

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Have you settled on 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. snap — to click
  2. bound — obliged
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rock — music
  10. bound — certain
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. track — a song
  15. bound — tied together
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. swing — in golf
  19. date — the fruit
  20. vault — a safe
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. date — on the calendar
  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