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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · wake · vault · spell · club · ball · net · key

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ball — a great time
  6. club — for golf
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — the most important part
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. club — a group
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. key — in music
  18. net — in sport
  19. spell — magic
  20. net — for catching
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spell — a short time

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