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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: pit · key · hand · vault · bear · charge · straw · firm

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. hand — in cards
  3. firm — steady
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. firm — decided
  6. hand — help
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. charge — a price
  14. pit — a hole
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. bear — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pit — in a race
  23. firm — a company
  24. bear — the animal

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