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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: mate · ball · press · trunk · clip · vault · key · stock

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. press — a publisher
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — to push
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ball — a great time
  13. vault — a safe
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mate — to breed
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. clip — a video
  23. key — in music
  24. stock — shares

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