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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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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: date · temple · vault · chip · cue · key · root · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cue — a signal
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cue — a hint
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — the fruit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chip — for betting
  18. root — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. key — for a lock
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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