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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: coach · season · vault · wax · key · fork · pop · chip

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. key — in music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. key — for a lock
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. season — in sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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