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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 116 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: key · coach · vault · bass · patient · dip · track · mine

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — low music
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — the fish
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — in music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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