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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 · key · game · rock · row · stick · charge · cold

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. row — to paddle
  14. key — in music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rock — music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. charge — electricity
  24. key — the most important part

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