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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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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: key · cabinet · vault · pound · pitcher · fork · rash · temple

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. key — for a lock
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. key — the most important part
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rash — a series
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. key — in music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fork — in a road
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fork — a garden tool

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