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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: field · deal · suit · track · toast · rash · vault · squash

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. field — for sport
  3. vault — a safe
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rash — hasty
  12. field — a subject
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. suit — to fit
  16. field — farmland
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. squash — to crush
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. track — a song
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — a series

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