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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · vault · current · key · season · kick · rule · pitcher

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rule — a law
  3. kick — in football
  4. current — of water
  5. rule — government
  6. current — electric
  7. key — for a lock
  8. season — of the year
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. key — in music
  17. current — happening now
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitcher — a jug

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