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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.

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: toast · can · ball · ground · march · lash · key · vault

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. march — the month
  11. key — in music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. ball — a great time
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. march — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ground — the earth
  23. vault — a safe
  24. can — to be able to

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