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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: snap · rest · deal · game · key · stick · vault · march

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. game — a match
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. march — the month
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. march — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — a break
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. snap — to click
  19. march — the month
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. deal — to handle
  24. game — wild animals

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