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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 120 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: staff · temple · mine · key · sharp · vault · mark · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — the most important part
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mine — for digging
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — clever
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mark — a trace
  24. key — in music

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