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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: clip · content · land · foot · key · vault · bat · row

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. row — a line
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. land — a country
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. land — to come down
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. key — in music
  10. foot — a measure
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. land — ground
  13. content — the amount
  14. clip — a video
  15. content — happy
  16. key — the most important part
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bat — the animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. key — for a lock

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