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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: sharp · vault · key · calf · spring · jam

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. key — the most important part
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spring — the season
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. key — for a lock
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. key — in music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. vault — a safe
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spring — of water
  18. sharp — exactly

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