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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: vault · arm · track · ground · snap · net · pass · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. track — a song
  6. key — in music
  7. ground — a position
  8. track — a path
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. snap — to click
  11. track — to keep track
  12. vault — a safe
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — after costs
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. net — in sport
  17. ground — crushed
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. net — for catching
  21. key — for a lock
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pass — a permit

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