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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.

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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: pit · face · vault · pound · coach · shower · bat · key

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pit — in a race
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pit — a hole
  7. key — for a lock
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bat — the animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — in music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. face — to confront
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. shower — to wash
  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