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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: track · roll · vault · band · race · row · ground · club

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. track — a song
  3. band — a music group
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. club — for dancing
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. race — humankind
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. row — a line
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — crushed
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. track — to keep track
  15. vault — a safe
  16. row — to paddle
  17. band — a ring
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. ground — the earth
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ground — a position
  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