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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · track · chair · pass · mine · branch · game · present

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. present — a gift
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. branch — a division
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pass — a permit
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. track — a song

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