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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: ground · bulb · track · vault · racket · key · board · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — to get on
  9. ground — crushed
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fine — all right
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — the most important part
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. key — in music
  20. ground — a position
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. ground — the earth
  24. track — a song

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