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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
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: season · band · bore · vault · chip · root · pitcher · key

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. band — a music group
  7. season — in sport
  8. key — the most important part
  9. vault — a safe
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. season — of the year
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chip — for betting
  20. root — of a word
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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