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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: wake · vault · fork · key · rule · pitch

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rule — government
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — a law
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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