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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · track · vault · calf · craft · ball · last · squash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. squash — the sport
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. key — the most important part
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ball — a great time
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. track — a song
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. last — finally

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