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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: squash · vault · cap · deal · key · rash · pitch · mine

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. deal — to handle
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — for digging
  6. squash — to crush
  7. key — in music
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. squash — the sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cap — of ice
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rash — a series
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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