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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.

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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 · nail · bat · key · racket · chair · scale · rule

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — government
  9. key — the most important part
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. key — in music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. scale — size or range
  16. vault — a safe
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rule — a law
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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