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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: wake · swing · wind · vault · track · temple · field · pop

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pop — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. field — farmland
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. field — for sport
  14. track — to keep track
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pop — soda
  17. field — a subject
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wake — a trail
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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