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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
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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: last · fine · ball · key · vault · bat · calf · saw

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. 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. key — for a lock
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. last — to go on
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fine — all right
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ball — a great time
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — in music
  24. 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