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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: firm · key · vault · staff · chair · pass

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. firm — a company
  3. key — the most important part
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — employees
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. firm — decided
  9. staff — employees
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. key — in music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pass — a permit
  16. firm — steady
  17. staff — a stick
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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