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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: club · vault · field · key · march · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. club — for dancing
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. club — a group
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. march — music
  12. field — for sport
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. vault — a safe
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. march — the month
  18. club — for golf

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