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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: bound · hand · board · cap · last · root · key · vault

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. board — a committee
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hand — help
  5. bound — certain
  6. last — finally
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. last — to go on
  9. cap — a lid
  10. last — final
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. root — the cause
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. root — of a plant
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hand — in cards
  22. key — in music
  23. root — of a word
  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