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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: vault · key · roll · firm · stem · trunk · cap · pop

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pop — music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pop — soda
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cap — a hat
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — a company
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pop — to visit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. roll — a cake
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. roll — a list
  21. stem — to come from
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. trunk — of a tree

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