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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: track · band · rock · nail · wound · vault · leaves · game

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — a stone
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rock — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — a safe
  24. band — a ring

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