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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 120 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: key · rock · spring · deal · last · chip · present · vault

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — in music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chip — to eat
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. present — there
  8. vault — a safe
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. key — the most important part
  16. last — finally
  17. present — the time now
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. present — a gift
  24. spring — a coil

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