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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitch — completely
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. key — in music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. charge — electricity
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wind — moving air

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