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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: jam · vault · ball · mug · track · march · bulb · nail

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. march — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ball — a dance
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. track — a song
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mug — a face
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. march — the month
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ball — a great time

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