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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 · mate · coach · key · content · cabinet · fine · root

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mate — to breed
  7. vault — a safe
  8. root — of a word
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. content — happy
  14. mate — a friend
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. key — for a lock
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. root — the cause
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cabinet — ministers

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