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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: rest · toast · track · tube · racket · mine · branch · vault

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — a safe
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — a container
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. track — a song
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rest — a break
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tube — the underground
  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