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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: stick · perch · key · mine · march · chair · kick · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kick — in football
  3. key — the most important part
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. march — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. key — in music
  22. vault — a safe
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chair — a professorship

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