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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: vault · fork · object · kid · clip · pop · track · board

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pop — soda
  3. clip — a video
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. object — a thing
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kid — child
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. pop — music
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. vault — a safe
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fork — in a road
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. board — to get on

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