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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.

Make a worksheet

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: vault · land · rock · key · field · toast · jam · mug

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. 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. key — the most important part
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. key — for a lock
  5. field — a subject
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rock — a stone
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. land — ground
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. vault — a safe
  15. land — a country
  16. rock — music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mug — a cup
  19. land — to come down
  20. mug — a face
  21. key — in music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mug — to rob
  24. 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