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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: clip · key · hand · fork · court · bulb · vault · mouse

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. key — in music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. court — of a king
  5. vault — a safe
  6. key — the most important part
  7. court — for sport
  8. hand — help
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of law
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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